End-gate fastener



March 1928.

1,661,259 N. G. MORGAN I END GATE FASTENER Filed March 24- 92 2sheets-sheet 1 I 202 223 6 hogan March 6, 1928.

1,661,259 N. G. MORGAN END GATE FASTENER Filed March 24. 1927 v 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Man 6, 1928. l

v UNITED PATENT nonn s ,G. mone iv, or ee v rumors.

- nnneem'rn FAs'rENER.

Arpii amn'm dmr h 2. 1192. se iai llemass This invention relates toend-gate fasteners for use with vehicle bodies having hinged dropend-gates. a It is an object of this invention to pro vide an end-gatefastener of simple rugged construction that may be'readil-y operated todrop the end-gate and that is self-looking when the end-gate closed.

a bl quieke ti in ene ies the nd-,7

ate.

Other and further important objectsfo this ihren ien il b epiesr at it mh d 'jee e the silee fi eheh en th s es-z P ns ra n su' e hi t eliewiheand e hel wr m ihi ly'des h al- On' the drawings: t Figure 1 {e e reelelereti he i w of an end gate fastener shown in connection with a truckbody.

i 1 ragme ary en r d e e vational view of the device; F1gure3is asectional eyv on i ur 6 i a ai -eleme ta y t p l of the device type ofbody 7 Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary Vele e e l w showi g fi ehpes tiens ref having a rear Wall 2 provided with an end-;' g e, W be uder too t a ;th c m dying the pr neiples'e my inyen-= tion isequallyapplicable to other styles of.

truck bodies, boxes, containers of various sorts and the like.

s shown, th nd-gate 3 is .zhi gedly conn d at i s lowe edgeqt aq 'et m'cross piece 4.: by mean .e hinges 5. When closed,

lin

. a eh view. epp i e t a a h y e i fi hee e -s t 3 l nugly a a ns theuter faceof the rear Wall 2 (Figures 1 to 3 in;

elusive) to form a tight joint. As shown in Figures 4 to 1. 0 inclusivethe end-gate 3 extends the full length of the rear of the truck body andin closed position liesagainst the rear edge of the side Walls 6, Ineither form of construction of end-gate, the endgate fastener of'myconstruction is equally applicable.

Said end-gate. fastener comprises a ushaped lever 7 having a straightintermedite P i i I -8 x endi g s sten ieli y the tul-l en th ,of th en-gat 3 an c red t re by me ns f ban ,9 parall l adj eentlrefti l te-uppe edg of sa d n l-get a Il b 9= provided ith socke s l0 s n whic thleve 7 is, me inteelfor swine-- This invention (in a preferred torm) IS;

g i th sam Pleri 'yvi h th in ermediate c pert- 0h he eX IIe tiesQ-fsaidoifs t'a ms lze x urned. outward y in t e samefplane o pro ide stubms 12, I each of which i ge u e n end of ,a-cha-in 1.3- c l-he th r helvee o t ee ai s 13 is detaeha y e med to a hook l4: fa te ed to theupperv edge of a longitudinal partition 15 (Figures- 1 (to '3 inclusive)or to .the ,upper edge of I h sid w ll :61(F g r to 8 cinelus ve) atvpoint s bs nt ally on a level w th h eve in ermedi e"portion -& A sheah l6 encloses each of the ofi'set arms 11 for a dis n S ight y l s thntheirentire length. Said shea 6 s preferab y formed of sheet metal bentabout each of the arms 11 and provided with an extension'17 forming .a,U sh ped groove 18. The stub arms 12extend throughfone Wall of thesheath 16 into-the trough 18 and are fastened in the opposite walliofsaid extension 17. The chains 13 accordinglyylie ;in -thejtroug.h- 21-8,in normal position, parallel to the arms 11, and are trained over theupper edges 19 of saidextensions 17. The upper edges .19 of said sheathextensions 17 lie-below the horizontal level of-theaxis 'ofthe leverport-ion 8 ior all positions below the horizontal of said offset arms:11 for a reason that .Will later become apparent, "The uppercorners ofthe endgate 3 are notchedasat 20 (Figures 1 to 8 inclusive) ,to providea passage for ,the

open and from then on outward pressure against said end-gate 3 orcontinued manual raising of the arms 11 Wlll effect quick openingaction, until the end-gate 3lies in horizontal position and the leverarms 11 and chains 13 lie in the same straight line. It

. should be noted that the swinging movement of the lever arms 11 is inopposite direction to that of the end-gate 3 upon its hinges 5, and thata self-locking action is obtained whenthe lever arms 11 are swung fromhorizontal position down into vertical position. It should further benoted that the upper edges 19 of the sheath extensions 17 lie below thehorizontal level of the axis of the levers intermediate portion 8 forall.

positions of the offset arms 11 between horisaid offset arms 24: and theintermediate porzontal and closed vertical position. As the offset leverarms 11 move from down posi-.

tion (Figure 5) to horizontal position (Figure 6) the edges 19accordingly move in an arc downwardly and away from the endgate 3, thusincreasing the tension on the. chains 13 until the horizontal osition ofthe lever armsll is reached. T llls tension is taken care of by theresiliency of the straight portions 30 of the lever 7 extending beyondthe bands 'or mountings 9. 'Thereis accordinglyno tendency for theend-gate fastener to'joggle loose and open the endgate 3 accidentally.The end-gate 3 remains tightly closed for any position of the lever arms11 below the horizontal level of'the levers intermediate portion 8.

In Figures 9 to 11 inclusive there is shown a slightly modified form ofend-gate fastener comprising a lever 21 having a straight intermediateportion 22 swivelly mounted in sockets 23, and offset arms 24 providedwith inwardly turned stub arms 25. Between tion 22 there are formedarcuate portions 26 over which chains 27 are adapted to be trained. Thearcuate, or curved portions 26 lie below the horizontal level of thelevers intermediate portion 22 in the same way as the sheath edges 19,above described. Each of said chains 27 is secured at one end to, a

stub arm 25 and at the other end to a pin 28 adjacent the top edge of aside board 6. The offset arms 24 in this modified form of end gatefastener do not lie in the same plane with the intermediate leverportion 22, but

are slightly inclined, when in'normal posi-' tion, downwardly toward theendgate 3.

The action of this modified form of end-gate fastener is substantiallythe same as above described. V

I am aware that'many changes may be made, and numerous detailsof'construction maybe varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this inven tion, and I therefore, do notpurpose lim--iting the patent granted here on, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

I claim as my invention: 1. An end-gate fastener comprising a leveradapted to be swivelly mounted with its axis parallel to and'adjacentthe upper edge of an end-gate and having offset ends,

chains adapted to be secured to the extremity of each of said endsand-"to fixed supports, and means constraining a portion of each of saidchains below said lever axis to lie parallel to said offset endsposition. r

2. An end-gate fastener, comprising a bent lever having an intermediateportion adaptedto be swivelly secured along the upper edge of anend-gatewith its axis in parallel relation thereto and end portions atright angles to said intermediate portion normally extending downwardly,chains adapted to be secured to a fixed; support adjacent saidupp'eredge and to theextreniiin normal ties of said lever ends, and meanslying below said lever axis when said end-gate 1s closed over which saidchains to be trained.

are adapted 3. An end gate fastener for use with vehicle bodies havinghinged end-gates, comprising a U-shaped lever, the intermediate portionof said lever being adapted to be swivelly secured parallel and adjacentto the upper edge of said end-gate, andthe end portions of said levernormallyextending parallel and adjacent to the endsof said end-gate,chains each adapted to be fastened at its upper end to the vehicle bodyand .at

its lower end to the free extremity ofa lever 7 end portion, and meanslying below said lever intermediate portion providing edges over whichsald chains are adapted to, be

trained in all positions of said lever end portions below saidintermediatelever por-; tion, wherebysaid end-gate remains closeduntilafter said lever end portions are raise above said intermediate portion.

4. An end-gate fastener for use with vehicle bodies having hinged dropend-gates, comprising a lever member having normally downwardlyextending offset arms ateach end thereof and an intermediate straightportion, means swivelly securing saild intermediate portion to Saidend-gate along the upper edge thereof, chains joining the free extremityof each of said offset arms to the vehicle body, and means causingportionsof lever arm adaptedto be secured to an endv gate for swingingmovement about an axis parallel to the upper edge of said end-gate,

flexible means joining the free end of said lever arm to a fixed supporton" a level with 'said axis, and'means for effecting a train ing of'saidflexible means at a point below said axis so long as the lever armextends below said axis. r

6. An "end-gate fastener, comprising a lever arm adapted 't-o be securedfor swinging movement about an axis parallel to the upper edge ofsaidend-gate, flexible means secured to the free'en'd of said lever arm,fixed anchoring means for the other end of said flexible means, andmeans'forming a part of said lever providing an edge over which saidflexible means is normally trained, said edge providing means lying be-.

low said axis for all positions of said lever arm, below said axis.

7. An end-gate fastener for an end-gate pivotableabout its lower edge,comprising alever having normally downwardly extending offset ends andan intermediate portion adapted to, be swivelly mounted in paralleladjacent position to the upper edge of said end-gate,flexible meansconnecting the extremities of saidvlever ends to a fi'xed pointsubstantially on a level with said lever'intermediate portion, and meansforming a'part of said lever over which said flexible means are normallytrained, said means lying :below the'horizontal level of U said fixedpoint for all positions of the oifset lever arms between horizontal anddownvwardly extending vertical position.

I In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago,Cook County,

Illinois. a

' NORRIS e. MORGAN.

